Bow structure for folding tops



June 12, 1951 J. w. VOTYPKA BOW STRUCTURE FOR FOLDING TOPS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 12, 1948 INVENTOR. z/o/m M4 l orr /m MM Arm? [KS June 12, 1951 J. w. VOTYPKA 2,556,565

BOW STRUCTURE FOR FOLDING TOPS Filed Nov. 12, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. I Joy/v W. VOIYP/(A BY Patented June 12 1931 UNITED -=smrss ae-Arm r "OFFICE v.QBOW STRUCTURE FOR; EOL'DINQ TOPS .John'liWTVotypka, Detroit, 'Mich, ,assignonigby mesne assignments, to Detroit Harvester Company,'l)etroit,- Mich., a corporationof-Micl igan 'ApplicationNovember 12,-;1948, Serial No5 .5 ,9,4373

metal strip-characterized by its strength, rigidity,

economy of production,.- and its cooperationwith ,epaddingstrips and cover material. -.It--.is a-feature of the-present inventionto pro- ..videa-:metal bow= structure, preferably of hollow [3.017055 section, having a plurality of longitudinally; z-.extending, outwardly iacing channels which im- ..part' rigidity to the-structure and serve to position apluralitypfltacking strips.

Other: objects: and 'features ofthe invention will becomeapparent as the description proceeds; i-especially. when taken-in conjunction: with. the

accompanying drawings, wherein:

x-Eigure his a :fragmentary side elevation of a .iamotor' vehicle. showing. afolding top 1 in extended cposition;

,-Figure 2:15 an'enlarged fragmentary sectioncn the line-2+2, Figure 1 *Figure: 31.isan enlargedsection on the line 3:-..3;Ei' ure :isEigure 4- is." an-enlarged "section -.on the -line 44, Figure 1;

:iE'igura 5s sis-an-.-aenlarged (section on the .line ;'Ffigure2;

irEigure 6,:is aperspectiveview, with parts broken -:;aw ay;. :showing the. association of the bow-, tack- .:=.ing :stri-ps, stop *material: and paddingstrips;

:Eigure? 7 is; anxenlarged section on the line V 1+1, Figure :4; and

Figure? 8 is an ifenlargede section on the line 4 8+8;f-Figure 1.

irizReferringi now r-to -the drawings; the vehicle-is provided with a folding top which includes: a :forward headeribar 1 0, a-flexiblextop material I l 1 :.which. may be. a' waterproof canvas or other ma- ;.terial,:and a folding frame-securedto the vehicle wbody.---l Zuand: includes a main. bowstructure- I4 yandvauxiliary bows l5. The tom-material is seenured-at its front end-to :the header: bar 5 l and atr-its .rear-end: towthe vehicle body- I2. Itis also .--.-sec.ured as by tacking or.- the like .to--the main bow structure I 4. fiBows l are. iii-supporting relation ..to.the top but arenot ordinarily secured thereto. .In. addition-.to. .the parts -heretofore. described, .thetop. structure. includes. pads .16 which. extend between .;the header. barfllland. the rear end ;of the top H, and are located,..adjacent jthef top rounded corners of the cover material. prior constructions these pads have. been continuous for theiengthi of" the" top. In the present can- 'istruction,-- however; the "pads at ""ea-ch-side'con- .sist of two, partsfTOne, part" extends fromthe header bar-l U to" the main b'owstructure "14.The

.other. part extends fromthe point. of connection between? the rear end 'offthe' cover material and 5 rbojdyt'o'the main bowstructuri 4.

In order to produce .atmaintbow structure which isada'pted to bfl'COIlIlCtBd to" the top' materi'al "l I and "the "intermediate ends of the. .pads lIS, while atlthe' same"; time producing a strong,

1 Ojlight', "rigid: how; "the; present structure is .proVid- ;'ed.""The intermediateportion l8i'of the bow-I4 is of 'stripimetalform'ed into a hollow cross section,.'as will Joe describedsubsequently. Ateither end- "of the "intermediate- POItiOII'J 8 is aislatqiron .I 9. "which" is" provided with: a .pivot construction f"at"its free or-lower 'endfor"connection to'the body "of the'vehicle.

.Iheintermediate portion I8 of the bowstructure "I 4' is made up or two pieces "of metal" "strip 20 "shaped asiIIustr'ated in'TigureB. A relatively wide-strip "2 liis shaped-to provide; at ithe inner "side'ofjthe bow; a transversely curvedioutwards i? 1y convex bottom twall, 22. At-the-edges of the,

bottom'wall, the strip-is' forrnedupwardly to: provide side walls 23 and flanges 24. The fianges'are of double thickness-for metal; as theresult-of re- "versely beridingi 'fthe "side*"walls'"23 inwardly as ifidicated at fl 5. 1- 'Attthe" loweredgcs of the "re- ===versely=-bent--porti0nsf'*thestrip extends inward- A relatively narrow metal "strip is shapedtoprom which overlie the-upper*free edgesoftheflanges "*2 1 This results in a'cQnstruction: in which four double-*wa-lledflanges are providedwhich'extend longitudinally of the bow "in position to-stiffen *thbodY.

-Inaddition,the interconnection between "the r channel :member Mandthe 'relatively wide Tstrip -2 |iSf'COI10e3;-1 ed' inthe assembled article. Thus the" smoothly curved 'rounded" bottom":2 2 iof'the bow structure is smooth and. continuous'iandis not'marredby welding.

. the head of the tacks.

The connection between the upper end of the slat irons l9 and the intermediate bow portion I8 is best illustrated in Figure 4. As seen in this figure, it will be noted that the slat iron 19 is provided with threaded openings 38 which receive screws 40 extending downwardly through the floor portions 26 of the channels 28. At the point where the heads of the screws 40 project into the channels 28, the tacking strips 30 may be cut away as indicated at 42 in Figure 4.

The tacking strips 30 are secured in the channels 28 by suitable fastening means, such for example as the tacks or nails 44 best seen in Figure 3. A third tacking strip 46 is located in the channel member 32 and is retained in place therein by suitable tacks or nails 48.

As best seen in Figure-5, the flexible cover material H is secured to the tacking strip 46 by tacks 50, these tacks also extending through a lower wall 52 of a concealing strip 54, the cover portion of which may be bent outwardly to expose It will be observed in this figure that the tacks 50 are of such length that they extend completely through the tacking strip and engage the bottom wall 33 of the channel, which causes them to be deflected laterally so as to interlock with the bottom of the tacking strip.

The pad it, best seen inFigures and 6, comprises fabric covers 60 within which are provided constitute a description of the improved bow structure for folding tops in such full, clear, concise and exact terms asto enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, the scope of which is indicated by the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is: r

l. A bow comprising a longitudinally curved metal strip shaped to provide a transversely curved inner wall, parallel outwardly extending side walls at the edges of said inner wall, channel floor portions extending inwardly from the side walls of said strip toward each other and below the tops of said side walls, spaced parallel intermediate walls between said side walls extending outwardly from the adjacent edges of said floor portions, and a separate channel member received between said intermediate walls, the edges of said separate channel member overlying the edges of said intermediate walls and being curved to provide extended bearing surfaces.

2. In combination, a channel shaped strip, an outwardly opening channel located between the side walls of the channel-of said strip, means within said outwardly opening channel for anchoring a flexible top material, means for holding said outwardly opening channel in fixed relation to the side walls of the channel of said strip, including two outwardly opening channels secured respectively to the side walls of the channel of said strip and secured to said first mentioned outwardly opening channel, and means within the last two mentioned outwardly opening channels for anchoring underpadding for said flexible top material.

3. In combination, a channel shaped. strip, a pair of laterally spaced outwardly opening channels within the channel of said strip, the outermost side walls of said spaced channels being secured to the side walls of the channel of said strip, the innermost side walls of said spaced channels projecting outwardly beyond the outermost side walls thereof, an outwardly opening channel between and secured to said outwardly projecting walls, means within the last mentioned outwardly opening channel for anchoring a flexible top material, and means within the spaced outwardly opening channels for anchoring underpadding for said flexible top material.

4. In combination, a channel shaped strip, a pair of laterally spaced outwardly opening channels within the channel of said strip, means securing said spaced outwardly opening channels respectively to the side walls of the channel of said strip, the bases of said spaced channels being spaced outwardly from the base of said channel shaped strip, slat irons extending endwise into the channel of said strip at opposite ends thereof, said slat irons being between the base of the channel, of said strip and the bases of the spaced outwardly opening channels, and means securing said slat irons to the bases of the spaced outwardly opening channels.

5. In combination, a channel shaped strip, a pair of laterally spaced outwardly opening channels within the channel of said strip, means securing said spaced outwardly opening channels respectively to the sidewalls of the channel of nel shaped strip, slat irons extending into opposite ends of the channel of said strip, said slat irons being between the base of the channel of said strip and the bases of said spaced outwardly opening channels, means securing said slat irons to said strip, including headed elements extending through the bases of the spaced outwardly opening channels and threadedly engaging said slat irons, the heads of said elements being within said spaced outwardly opening channels, and means for concealing said heads, including tacking strips anchored within said spaced channels and extendingover said heads. a I

6. A new article ofv manufacture comprising a channel member, a pair of spaced apart substantially parallel outwardly opening channels located within said channel member, the outer sides of said parallel channels being secured in surface to surface relation to opposite sides of said channel member, and a third channel intermediate said pairof channels, opposite sides of 1 generally parallel to said outer channel walls to provide inner channel walls, said inner channel walls extending outwardly at least as far as said inner channel walls.

8. Structure as defined in claim 7 in which the bottom walls of said channels are spaced substantially from the central portion of said strip.

9. Structure as defined in claim '7 in which said inner channel walls extend substantially beyond said outer channel walls.

10. structure as defined in claim 7 comprising a separate outwardly open channel member having side walls disposed withinithe inner channel walls of said strip, and outwardly turned edges overlying said inner channel walls.

11. A top supporting cross bow for a motor vehicle comprising a longitudinally curved channel member, a pair of spaced parallel outwardly opening channels located in said channel member having their bottom walls spaced outwardly from the bottom wall of said channel member, a third channel located between said pair of spaced channels, supporting slat irons having end portions extending into the ends of the cross bow 6 between the bottom wall of said channel member and the bottom walls of said pair of spaced chan- "nels, and means connecting said slat irons to the bottom walls of said spaced channels.

JOHN W. VOTYPKA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,299,637 Vetter Apr. 8, 1919 1,312,836 Curtis Aug. 12, 1919 1,447,191 Vetter Mar. 6, 1923 2,501,392 Keller Mar. 21, 1950 

